Winter at the Grasslands

     Ever noticed how on the evening of a forecasted huge storm, every parking spot at the local market it taken?  People are in panic mode thinking they may get snowed in for the next 10 days and better have a full pantry before the storm hits.  I really think birds sometimes have the same reaction to an oncoming noreaster or hurricane.  The birds seem to be in a hyperactive state as low pressure approaches.  They, like we humans, seem to be in panic-mode making sure their bellies are full before the food sources are covered with snow.

      Well, for whatever it's worth, the owls at the Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge were certainly in that hyperactive state yesterday evening.  As we prepare to head south for the winter, Sharon and I figured we better get up to the refuge to get our year Short-eared owls since winter storm Grayson was forecast for today.  We wanted to get up there around 3:00 PM to be on-site before the action started a little before sunset.  Well, the owls decided not to wait for the sun to go down and were already on the hunt within 15 minutes of our arrival.

       Our first sighting was a single owl cruising just above the level of the grasses on the far side of the field.  We could easily see the bird with our binoculars and when he landed in a lone bare tree, he was easily visible.  The weather could not have been better for this time of year.  At 27 degrees, it was almost balmy given the fact that it's been almost 2 weeks since we've seen temps above freezing. The sun was radiant and the winds were calm.  The several photographers on the scene were all commenting about the fact that it was a rare day when you had such ideal conditions for capturing images of these beautiful birds of prey.

     Before long, there were at least 5 Short-ears hunting the grasslands together.  For whatever reason, there were several interactions between two of the birds which could have been territorial disputes, courtship displays, or simply play.  With loud audible calls, the birds would soar above our heads and dive at one another.  The display would last anywhere from several seconds to a minute or more before the owls would split up and resume their soaring just above the grasses.  On one occasion, a Northern harrier entered into the owls territory and was likewise escorted out to the edge of the fields.  

     Every so often, an owl would come in to a nearby post to take a break from all this activity.  The bird would rest for a period of up to 5 minutes and then take to the air only to return a short time later.  The hunting, the aerial "combat" and the periods of rest on the post continued for the next 45 minutes and beyond, but as the sun got lower and closer to the horizon behind us, viewing and photographing the birds became more and more difficult.  We had hoped to find the reported Rough-legged hawks as well as the owls, but my only possible sighting was of a lone bird at a great distance.

     Eventually, we had to concede that the show was coming to an end.  A beautiful sunset in the west was a fitting conclusion to a spectacular show at the Grasslands.  We will be forever grateful to the hard work of Ralph Tabor in being instrumental in reestablishing this area as one of the regions best birding venues year-round.  We know for a fact that the birds all appreciate it!

     Tech tips of the day - Capturing the owls in flight was pretty easy today given the optimal lighting conditions.  When shooting flight sequences, you have to keep the shutter speed up around 1/1000 sec or higher.  These shots were at 1/1250 sec.  The lighting was so good that I was able to keep the ISO or "film speed" down around 160 to 200, so the images are not grainy.  Finally, it's wise to slightly overexpose birds against a bright blue sky since the camera's meter will be measuring the brightness of the sky as well as the bird.  These shots were made with an exposure compensation of +.3.  Again, I would normally set the camera to overexpose even more, but the ideal lighting of the day did not mandate that.  Great day with great birds and superb conditions for photography.